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Banjul

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Skyline of the low-rise Gambian capital with the River Gambia and the minarets of King Fahad Mosque on the right.

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Overview

Banjul is a city that tempts with a sense of history that the plush seaside resorts lack, and is home to a busy harbor and market that show urban Africa at its best. It sits on an island and, crossed by sand-blown streets and dotted with fading colonial structures. It's also the least-populated capital on the African mainland.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

  • St Joseph's Adult Education & Skills Centre

    St Joseph's Adult Education & Skills Centre

    Banjul

    Tucked away inside an ancient Portuguese building, this centre has provided training to disadvantaged women for the last 20 years. Visitors can take a…

  • Traditional hand made fabric souvenir dolls, Albert Market, Banjul, Gambia

    Albert Market

    Banjul

    Since its founding in the mid-19th century, the Albert Market, an area of frenzied buying, bartering and bargaining, has been Banjul's main hub of…

  • Old Town

    Old Town

    Banjul

    West from the ferry terminal towards the wide Ma Cumba Jallow St (Dobson St) is a chaotic assembly of decrepit colonial buildings and Krio-style clapboard…

  • National Museum

    National Museum

    Banjul

    Well-presented, if slightly dusty, displays of historical and cultural artefacts, including musical instruments, agricultural tools and ethnographic items…

  • Arch 22

    Arch 22

    Banjul

    This massive 36m-high gateway, built to celebrate the military coup of 22 July 1994, grants excellent views. There's also a cafe and a small museum that…

  • July 22 Square

    July 22 Square

    Banjul

    The quadrangular July 22 Square contains a World War I memorial and a fountain dating from the 1930s.

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